Coffee Dates || Miguel O'Hara x Gender-Neutral!Reader

cappuccino interlude.

The past month has been what you could describe as the best time of your life.

You feel confident enough to say, that you and Miguel O'Hara are friends. Close friends, at that. Your almost daily meetings allowed you to learn things about one another that not many people knew.

He told you about his past. His past... mistakes, and how he tried to live in the other man's shoes, just to fix a gaping wound in his heart.

In return, you told him about your past. How the bite from a radioactive spider impacted your life, and how it eventually made you drop out of college, and distance yourself from your friends and family, cause they simply wouldn't understand.

Miguel told you about his Spider-Man transformation. How a spiteful man sabotaged his career, tried to manipulate him into staying, and in the end, how in an attempt to return to a normal life, someone sabotaged the procedure, irreparably splicing his DNA with the genes of a spider.

You told him how thankful you are to the Spider Society, since between being a hero and working at a goddamn convenience store, you didn't really have a life apart from it (not until he came around, at least).

He told you how Spider Society is his life. How the discovery of the Web of Life and Destiny was both a blessing and a curse. How he seemed to be the only one who cared to keep things from falling apart.

You told him that you care too. That he doesn't have to do this alone, and that his friends and companions, despite what he might think, would always be there for him.

He told you that he doesn't cry.

You dried his tears.

Needless to say, the two of you became close.

- - -

"I'll be gone for a week." You say as you bring a cup of cappuccino (whole milk, two spoons of sugar) to Miguel's table. In front of him lay various documents, scattered around as he goes between them and the holographic text hovering above his watch.

"What, why's that?" He turns his head, accepting the mug from you. He puts it on the table as you pull up a chair and sit next to him. "Anything I should be concerned about?"

"No, nothing major, don't worry." You assure him, and put your hand on his, giving it a little squeeze. You can feel him tense under your touch.

Despite being friends, Miguel is pretty aversed to physical touch. He explained to you that it's not that he doesn't want it, or crave it. It's just a lot for him, and he still needs some time to recover. You told him you understand, and keep your touches to the minimum. You yearn for the day when you can finally hug the man.

"Mrs. Chen is sick, she needs some time off." You continue and take a small sip of his coffee. "Mmm, sweet. She asked me to run the store for a week while she recovers."

"And you're sure there's no one else that can do it instead?" Miguel takes back his cup, also taking a sip. "I like it sweet, get your own coffee if you don't like it."

"Yes, but then I wouldn't be stealing from you." You smile at him. "But no, there's not really anyone else, I'm her only employee."

"So what are you planning to do, you're gonna leave Gwen alone for a week?" Asks Miguel, voice muffled from behind his cup.

Somewhere down the line, your coffee shop became a really popular destination for spider people of all shapes and sizes. The number of clients you had became overbearing.

It was the final push you needed to finally get some help around here.

You asked the only person you knew would accept the job - Gwen Stacy herself.